This article aims to understand the various types of Papua traditional weapon, from their uses and functions to the materials they are made of. There are 1,340 recognized ethnic groups in Indonesia, each of which has its traditional weapons, as well as tribes in Papua.
In the past, the Papuan used these Papua traditional weapons as a means of self-defense, farming, and hunting. But today, traditional weapons function as an identity of the tribe itself.
Traditional Weapon from Papua
Indonesia is a country with various customs and cultures that characterize each region. Starting from culinary and traditional clothing to local traditions rooted in the nation’s invaluable cultural heritage. One of the cultural products that are also a form of community identity is traditional weapons.
These are a few traditional Papuan weapons that currently function as the cultural identity of the Papuan tribes:
1. Dagger from Cassowary Bones
The first traditional weapon of Papua on this list is a dagger from cassowary bones. Conventional weapons are mostly created from metal or iron, but the weapons introduced by the Asmat tribe are unique.
Like the name, this weapon is made from cassowary bird bones. The tip of this traditional weapon has a pointed and flat shape. As for the hilt, the Asmat tribe dagger is enhanced with woven leather, shells, and cassowary feathers.
Back in time, this traditional weapon was only used by people for ritual killings. But at this time, people used this weapon to complement Papuan men’s clothes. People use it by wrapping it around the dagger at the waist of Papua men.
2. Jee Jugum or Stone Axe
The second traditional weapon from Papua is the stone ax, or what the people of Irian Jaya call Jee Jugum. This weapon is made of stone tied to a stick of wood. In the past, local people used this weapon to support their daily activities, such as cutting trees, chopping sago, and building boats.
Unfortunately, stone axes are slowly forgotten by people since other utility tools are so much easier to use. However, some tribes living in mountainous areas still use this weapon.
3. Papua Arrow Tool
This weapon is one of West Papua’s traditional weapons. This weapon has many uses. Not only did Papuans often use this weapon as a tool of war, but they also used it for hunting wild boars and other animals. Each tribe has different types of arrow tools, both in function, the material of manufacture, and form.
The Muyu, for example, call their bows Tinim and their arrows Ando. This bow of the Muyu is made from a palm tree split the size of three human fingers. At the same time, the Arrow or Ando is made from the Alip or Kasim tree, a bamboo tree taken from the forest.
4. Papuan Spear
The following traditional weapon from Papua is a spear. The people of West Papua often refer to this weapon as “Tul.” This weapon is not only usually used in combat and hunting but also, this weapon is often used by people in traditional dances.
This weapon is made by the community using long wooden sticks of about two or three meters. As for the spearhead, people use river stones with sharp edges. But as time goes by, the spearhead used today is mainly made from metal. There are two types of spears, one-edged and double-edged spears.
In its manufacture, spears that will be used for hunting are made in such a way that they do not produce any sound. The throwing distance of this Papuan spear can reach up to 50 meters.Well, those are Papua traditional weapons. Each weapon has its own uniqueness and use. Which weapon do you think is the strongest?
